Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Eight drivers to watch at Eldora


This week’s NASCAR Camping World Truck series stop, the Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway, will be the dirt debut for series points leader William Byron.


The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver is in his first full season in the series and recently spent some time getting accustomed to making the transition from asphalt to dirt, shaking down a Late Model entry with teammate Christopher Bell.


“That’s really about it,” Byron, 18, said of his dirt-track experience. “It went well; I liked it a lot.


“It was a lot different, a lot of the things were the opposite way of how we do them on asphalt. It was interesting.”


Wednesday night’s feature is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 150-lap race format will consist of three segments of 40, 50 and 60 laps.


In spite of his limited non-asphalt experience, Byron hasn’t tempered his expectations for this week’s race.


“I think it’s going to be a lot of learning the first half of the race,” he said. “The last half, if we can have the truck together and have good track position I think we can go for the win.


“I think it’s all about just getting yourself in the right position for the last 60 laps and being able to figure out which line to take, figure out where the grip is on the race track as it changes with the dirt.”


Winning appears to have come easily for Byron, who has scored victories this year at Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Kentucky. The Kansas win came in just his fifth start in the series.


That quick adaptation to tracks he’d rarely seen and the surprising success have been the result of “having the right tools and the right focus going to the race track,” he said.


“I think our team is adapting well also. We’ve been able to bring something that’s pretty close to the track. That we’re able to fire off and get better in practice is the biggest key. I think we always end practice pretty happy this year, that’s really the most important part. Just learning the track and getting up to speed as quickly as I can and then making adjustments to make sure we’re ready to go come race time.”


Byron leads two-time series champion Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing) by 13 points. The two are the only drivers thus far to have clinched spots in this year’s inaugural Camping World Truck Series Chase.


The seven-race, championship-determining playoff will feature eight teams competing through three rounds. It will kick off later this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Posted on by Nascar

LOUDON, N.H. — Martin Truex Jr. was counting the positives and trying to ignore the negatives when he climbed out of his Furniture Row Racing entry Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 

For the fourth time this season, the 36-year-old led more than 100 laps and he was out front with less than 40 laps remaining in the New Hampshire 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

 

The performance bodes well for the series’ fall return, when the track hosts the second race in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

 

But a broken shifter left him with a lame No. 78 Toyota down the stretch. Visions of victory were replaced with thoughts of merely making it to the end.

 

He did, finishing 16th, despite numerous late restarts that left him perfect for the picking.

 

“It’s not tough, it’s just that you’re a sitting duck and there’s nothing you can do to get going,” Truex said. “Unfortunately we got passed by a lot of cars and we pitted for tires on that last stop because we were starting all the way in the back … and we wanted to get some momentum going … make sure we didn’t destroy the race car getting in a wreck.

 

“We passed 10 cars in the last 10 laps so we had a good race car, just nothing to show for it today.”

 

Toyotas were dominant on a mostly sunny day here at the 1.058-mile track, leading all but two of the 301 laps. And the Toyota of Truex was, for most of the day, as strong as any.

 

He led 83 consecutive laps early (from Lap 89-171) and 37 circuits a bit later (from Lap 221-257). His team was quick and efficient on pit road. Mistake-free.

 

“I think looking forward to the Chase and what we’re trying to do with this team, this is a big relief to come here and be able to run well,” said Truex, who won earlier this year with a dominant performance in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. “We knew this was one of our tough tracks and if we could come here and get through here good in September then we’ll be set up to start pretty good in the Chase.

 

“All in all, couldn’t be more proud of everybody at Furniture Row Racing and everybody on this Toyota. We weren’t that good yesterday … but the guys went to work last night and we had some good ideas, we talked about it and some things stuck out to Cole (Pearn, crew chief) and the guys and things that they thought we needed to work on just based on what I felt yesterday.”

 

Truex led 141 laps earlier this year at Texas and 172 at Kansas, in addition to his Charlotte effort. All three tracks will host Chase races.

 

Sunday’s result was credited to “total team effort,” he said, “and the pit crew was great today, the best they’ve been all year by far.

 

“We’re doing everything right, but we’re taking some on the chin here, but this isn’t when it counts so we’ll just keep our heads up and keep working. Our race cars are fast and everyone is doing a great job. Sooner or later we’ll get everything straight.”

Posted on by Nascar

Photos courtesy of Smyle Media Gallery, Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing and Richard Childress Racing.


RELATED: Buy Darlington tickets | ’16 throwback schemes 

WELCOME, N.C. — Michael McDowell and the Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing organization will honor Richard Childress with a throwback paint scheme similar to that used by the longtime NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner during the 1973 racing season.

The scheme will be run during this year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 4 (6 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The Darlington throwback program debuted last year and was a huge hit among fans and teams at the legendary track.


“Obviously to run Richard’s paint scheme and honor him for his upcoming Hall of Fame induction and our alliance with him and having Thrivent Financial on there is going to be really cool,” McDowell said. “It’s an exciting weekend. It’s fun to see all the guys in all the old shirts and hats. I saw my firesuit, it’s really cool, very vintage.”

Childress, a six-time champion in the Sprint Cup Series as an owner with driver Dale Earnhardt, will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January 2017. His Richard Childress Racing organization currently has 105 wins in the series and fields three full-time Sprint Cup teams for drivers Austin Dillon , Paul Menard and Ryan Newman . CSLFR currently has a technical alliance with RCR.

While the 1973 Chevrolet was primarily white with blue accents, Childress, an owner/driver before stepping aside to focus solely on ownership, did compete with a similar entry that had red features. And those colors, team officials said, worked well with primary sponsor Thrivent Financial.


McDowell, with 197 career starts in the Sprint Cup Series, shares driving duties in the No. 95 Chevrolet with RCR XFINITY Series driver Ty Dillon . He said he is looking forward to running the throwback scheme and seeing what other teams come up with for the event.

“I think more than anything what the Darlington race weekend does … it jogs everyone’s memory,” McDowell said. “The guys in the sport like Richard and others that have been here so long. Just walking around and listening to all the stories is really cool. I think that’s what Darlington does for everybody, it makes them reminisce not just about the good ol’ days but hearing fun stories and sharing memories.

“It kind of re-ignites your passion of how you got started and why you got started.”

Childress began his NASCAR career in 1969 and made 285 starts before stepping out of the car in 1981.

Long before teams began wrapping cars, Childress said he often painted his own entries, a process that often took “a couple of days.”

“I’d paint them myself. I’d tape it out like I thought I wanted it, and if I didn’t like it, I’d move the tape a little bit,” he said. “I still remember all the cars. You might forget about it for a while but then you see something and it brings it all back.

“I never accomplished that much as a driver so to see them come back today (with this scheme), it’s really neat. I had one of my best finishes at Darlington (fourth in ’73). To see it run again is so cool.”


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https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
0
Team Penske

After two straight wins, Keselowski’s hot streak fizzled out with a 15th-place result at Loudon. No matter: He’s still atop the Chase Grid with four victories and plenty of momentum to capture his first Brickyard 400 win.

At New Hampshire, Harvick brought home his sixth top 10 in the past seven races. He remains the Sprint Cup Series points leader, but has yet to officially clinch a Chase spot. Another win would ease the minds of Harvick and Co.

RELATED: Harvick ‘disgusted’ with pit performance

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/kyle-busch/
KyleBusch
3
Joe Gibbs Racing

The three-time ’16 winner clinched a Chase spot with a solid eighth-place run at Loudon after leading 133 laps. Still, look for Busch — who is the reigning Brickyard 400 winner — to be a big player in Sunday’s event.

RELATED: Busch sews up Chase berth

Since his Michigan win on June 12, Logano has quietly recorded top fives in three of the last four events. The No. 22 driver could be a little louder at Indianapolis, where he missed out on Victory Lane in ’15 by .332 seconds to victor Kyle Busch.

RELATED: Logano earns ‘A’ at Loudon

While Busch remains one of the most consistent drivers this year, his steadfastness wavered a bit with a 22nd-place result at Loudon. Indy’s forecast doesn’t look much better, as Busch hasn’t earned a top five since his first start there in ’01.

Edwards might have finished higher than 20th — the lowest of his JGR teammates — if he hadn’t gotten caught up in a late-race wreck at Loudon. Nonetheless, the finish earned him an official Chase spot, leaving the No. 19 team relatively worry-free until September.

RELATED: Edwards earns Chase spot

Kenseth nabbed his second victory of the ’16 season Sunday after snatching the lead from Kyle Busch at Lap 271 and holding on for the win. Expect the No. 20 to run well — but not stellar — at Indy, where he has no wins, yet three straight top-seven finishes.

RELATED: Kenseth surges for late Loudon win

No. 78 fans were crushed Sunday as a broken shifter left Truex — who led 123 laps — stuck in fourth gear and with minimal chances at Victory Lane. Truex may win again in ’16, but the Brickyard doesn’t look to be the place, as he has one lone top five in 11 starts there.

RELATED: Truex ‘sitting duck’ with transmission issues

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
0
Hendrick Motorsports

Johnson gave a less-than-impressive performance at Loudon, only leading one lap after starting on the pole. Lucky for him, Indianapolis has been kind to the No. 48 team: "Six-Time" leads active drivers with four trips to Victory Lane and 302 laps led.

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
1
Joe Gibbs Racing

Hamlin earned his first top 10 since Sonoma, shifting him one spot up in the point standings (10th.) This moves the Daytona 500 winner equally one spot up in the rankings — and into the top 10 again.

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/chase-elliott/
ChaseElliott
-1
Hendrick Motorsports

The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate is riding a streak of 31st-or-worse finishes the past three weeks, dropping three spots in the point standings post-Loudon. The No. 24 team needs a turnaround if they want to remain in Chase contention.

While Newman’s average finish of 15.5 in 2016 doesn’t turn many heads, he has been consistent with in-race improvements: the ’13 Brickyard 400 winner has a positive place differential in 11 of the 19 races this season.

"Smoke" has certainly been rising lately, as he has finished in the top five in three of the last four races, including his Sonoma win. A victory at his home track of Indianapolis in his final season would be picture-perfect for Stewart, a two-time Brickyard 400 winner.

MORE: Tony Stewart Chase Watch

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has quietly recorded top 10s the past two weeks and now heads to Indianapolis, where he earned one of his seven career wins, in 2010.

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
-2
Hendrick Motorsports

Junior sat out last week’s race at New Hampshire due to concussion-like symptoms. No word on if he’ll return for Indianapolis yet, but right now, he remains 15th in the point standings — and in the Chase.

RELATED: Junior gives update on condition

The No. 42 driver hasn’t made much noise in a couple weeks, but does have an average finish of 8.0 at Indianapolis in his two Sprint Cup starts. Lack of experience, however, could come into play.

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/austin-dillon/
AustinDillon
-2
Richard Childress Racing

The No. 3 driver’s season has been topsy-turvy, posting a season-high finish of third and a season-low of 37th four races later. Dillon’s Indy history doesn’t bode well for him either, as he owns an average finish of 20.3 with one lone lap led.

After wrecking with fellow rookie Chase Elliott at Kentucky the week prior, Blaney battled back from being a lap down to finish 11th at Loudon. He’ll need strong runs to make the Chase, and Indy could be an opportunity, as he nearly beat Kyle Busch for the XFINITY win there last season.

Bayne currently sits in the precarious 16th position in the points standings, just two points ahead of 17th-place Ryan Blaney. His Brickyard 400 record doesn’t bestow much confidence, as he holds an average finish of 31.6 in five starts.

Up until Daytona on July 2, Biffle had yet to finish in the top 10 — at all! — this season. Now, he’s riding at streak of three straight top 10s. Progress.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Complete Eldora schedule | Eldora entry list


As a rookie this year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ranks, dirt-racing standout Rico Abreu knew there would be a steep learning curve in his first season competing on bigger, paved speedways in race trucks.


But Wednesday’s truck race at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway half-mile dirt track is another story.


And Abreu, 24, would be happy to provide the fairy tale ending.


“Definitely, I’m looking forward to it,” Abreu said in a recent phone interview, his voice animated with excitement.

“Just with my dirt experience and my success at Eldora, it’s kind of like a plate race but without restrictors and without a superspeedway and you never know who’s going to win. I feel like it’s an even playing field.”


Abreu nearly stood in Eldora’s Victory Lane this past weekend, finishing second to Donny Schatz in the Tony Stewart -owned track’s famed annual King’s Royal World of Outlaw sprint event Saturday. He placed third in races the previous two nights.

But perhaps more important, he collected a vital scouting report on the track for this Wednesday’s Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby.


And Abreu has won at Eldora before. He beat the great Dale Blaney at Eldora in the 2014 All Star Circuit of Champions season finale – the same year he won the USAC Midget Series national championship. A year earlier, he won a USAC race there.


Clearly, Eldora is a place on the NASCAR schedule where Abreu feels at home, jokingly conceding the annual one-off dirt race might feel a bit like the Wild Wild West of racing.


“I think it’s an advantage [to have raced over the weekend], it’s just getting a lot of track time and kind of having the chance to see what the track is going to be like,” Abreu said.


And of course, Eldora presents a huge opportunity to win and punch his ticket into the inaugural Camping World Truck Series Chase, too. Six races remain to set the eight-driver Chase field. Abreu currently is 14th in the driver standings.


“It’s another chance I have of getting in the Chase,” Abreu said. “And if I don’t Wednesday night, I’ll have another shot then at the next race. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself, not too worried. I’m going to enjoy being at Eldora with all my friends and enjoy the atmosphere.”


“There’s a ton of people there, a fireworks show and you get to see some asphalt trucks racing on dirt, which is new. For me to be a part of it, I’m really looking forward to it. I had a lot of fun watching last year from up in the spotter’s stand and I never knew I’d have a chance to race in it.”


The established, two-time series championship ThorSport Racing team signed Abreu to drive the No. 98 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra late this offseason. And with very limited pavement experience – although Abreu won a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Columbus, Ohio in his seventh start – he is a solid 14th in the truck standings with a pair of top-10 efforts. His best was a ninth-place finish on the Texas Motor Speedway high banks in June.


Abreu’s longtime friend and fellow Californian, Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson , is a big supporter — and this week at Eldora, a prime competitor.


“Man, Rico … he almost won Texas a few weeks ago, so that was cool,” said Larson, who drives the No. 42 Target Chevy for Chip Ganassi Racing.


“He’s only been racing for less than 10 years. … It’s always taken him a year or two to get things rolling where he can be consistent and figure out how to win, but once he does, he’s as good as it gets.


“In sprint cars it took him three years, probably, and now he’s considered a favorite every time he goes to the race track. He’ll learn a lot throughout this year of Truck racing, and hopefully by the end of the year he’ll be consistently in the Top 10.”

Maybe even beginning weekend at Eldora.


“I’m very lucky to be doing all this stuff,” Abreu said. “I just wish I was doing better, to be honest. I haven’t had the best results this year. But we’re close. I just need to put a whole night together, and really feel like Eldora could be the turning point of my season.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash has a new, unique format for 2016 with heat races setting the field and determining which four drivers are eligible in the main race for the Dash 4 Cash prize, and a $100,000 check for each event.


Saturday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the fourth and final Dash 4 Cash event this year; and a Chase berth was on the line for Ty Dillon , who previously took the D4C win at Richmond. However, Dillon did not race his way into a Dash 4 Cash spot at Indianapolis.


Here is a quick rundown of how the format works.



THE RACES 


Bristol Motor Speedway (April 16)
 — Erik Jones took the Dash 4 Cash prize (recap)
Richmond International Raceway (April 23)
 — Ty Dillon took the Dash 4 Cash prize (recap)
Dover International Speedway (May 14) — Erik Jones took the Dash 4 Cash prize (recap)

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 23)

 — Justin Allgaier took the Dash 4 Cash prize (recap)

Dash 4 Cash race format, schedules

Event TV Heat race length (for both) Main race length
Bristol FS1 50 200
Richmond FS1 35 140
Dover FS1 40 120
Indianapolis NBCSN 20 60

RACE FORMATS


Coors Light Pole Qualifying will determine the starting positions for the two heats. 

Odd-numbered qualifiers (First, third, fifth, etc.) will compete in the first heat, while even-numbered qualifiers (second, fourth, sixth, etc.) will compete in the second heat.

These heat races determine the starting positions for the main race in addition to who will be eligible for the Dash 4 Cash in the main.
 
The front row for the main race will be made up of the winners of the two heats, with the fastest of those two from Coors Light Pole Qualifying making the lane choice.

The first heat determines the odd-number starting positions for the main, while the second heat determines the even-number starting positions for the main.

 Heat races will be held just before the main race at each track.

For Richmond, due to wet weather changing the schedule, the lineups for the heat races were set by the rulebook, meaning in this case, the NASCAR XFINITY Series owner standings.

DASH 4 CASH ELIGIBILITY


The top-two finishing NASCAR XFINITY Series points-earning drivers in each of the two heats will make up the Dash 4 Cash field in the main race. Dash 4 Cash drivers will carry a red windshield header to signify their Dash 4 Cash eligibility. The highest finisher in the main among the four eligible drivers wins the Dash 4 Cash and a $100,000 prize.

Should a driver win the first three Dash 4 Cash prizes and the Indianapolis race outright, that driver will earn an additional $600,000.



CHASE ELIGIBILITY

If a driver earns two Dash 4 Cash wins over the four Dash 4 Cash races, that is equivalent to a regular-season race win (without the race win bonus points) for XFINITY Series Chase eligibility.


Posted on by Staff Report

Garland Jack Biffle, father of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle, died Tuesday morning at age 75.


The Roush Fenway Racing driver tweeted out the family news Tuesday.


In a 2012 profile on SB Nation, Biffle said that his father introduced him early on to a life in speed, through a love of motorcycles that began at age 4. The elder Biffle served in the U.S. Army.


Biffle, 46, has 19 victories in 14 seasons in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series. He is also a former champion in the NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.


Biffle has a decal on his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford at Indianapolis this weekend to honor his father.

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RELATED: Complete race results | Updated Chase Grid

Breaking down the full field for the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:



1. Matt Kenseth , No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Not even a hiccup on pit road during the second caution could derail the No. 20 team. Remember this for when the Sprint Cup Series returns to Loudon for the second Chase race: Kenseth has won two in a row at New Hampshire and three of the past six. Grade: A


2. Tony Stewart , No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Smoke’s third top five in the past four races gives him 185 for his career, tying Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett for 16th all time. And to think that just a few weeks ago the discussion was whether Stewart would crack the top 30. Grade: A+


3. Joey Logano , No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. The No. 22 team used the race as a test for the September race at Loudon and still finished in the top five for the fifth time in the past six weeks. Grade: A


4. Kevin Harvick , No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Great finish, but the continued woes on pit road are troubling — especially this late into the season. Grade: A-


5. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Fact 1: Taking a wave around followed by another caution enabled Biffle (and others, as you will see) to post a great finish, despite running only 20 laps in the top 15. Fact 2: In racing, you’re ultimately judged by where you finish. And Biffle has his first top five since last September at Loudon. Grade: B+



6. Jamie McMurray , No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. McMurray said his goal was to minimize mistakes to keep alive his Chase chances, yet he found himself jousting side-by-side with Denny Hamlin with 21 laps to go. Fortunately for McMurray, they traded only paint, and McMurray was able to post his second-consecutive top 10 and take advantage of Dale Earnhardt Jr.  ‘s absence to move up a spot to 14th in the standings. Grade: A


7. Ryan Newman , No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman was part of the wave-around gang and left Loudon a solid 12th in the standings. Sometimes, timing is everything: Newman’s average running position for the day, 21.0, was the worst among top-10 finishers, just below Greg Biffle’s 20.4. Grade: B


8. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch led a race-high 133 laps, the first time since last September at Chicagoland he has led the most laps and not won. Grade: A


9. Denny Hamlin , No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin ran with the leaders all afternoon. He stayed out on the fourth caution and restarted with the lead on Lap 269. He held it one more lap before Matt Kenseth passed him. But his dust-up with Jamie McMurray caused a tire rub on the No. 11 and a pit stop on the sixth caution. Grade: A


10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. , No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse spent all of 30 laps in the top 15 but was one of the drivers who parlayed the wave around on the fifth caution into a good finish. Grade: B


11. Ryan Blaney , No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney fell from 11th to 25th after serving a pit road speeding penalty on Lap 184. He was able to avoid a points calamity with a wave around on the fifth caution. He’s 17th in the standings, two points behind Trevor Bayne and 16 behind 15th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. Grade: B-


12. Jimmie Johnson , No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The polesitter led the first lap, and that was it. He did, however, post his best finish since coming home third at Charlotte in May. Grade: B


13. Austin Dillon , No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. A solid finish enabled Dillon to take advantage of Dale Earnhardt Jr.  ‘s absence and move up a spot to 13th in the standings. Grade: B


14. Danica Patrick , No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Danica also was a wave-around winner Sunday, finishing well ahead of her 23.7 average running position. It was her second-best finish of the season. Grade: B-


15. Brad Keselowski , No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski was having a great day until he found himself sandwiched between teammate Joey Logano low and Kurt Busch high with fewer than 20 laps to go. Keselowski made contact with both and cut a tire, ending any chances for a better finish. Grade: B


16. Martin Truex Jr. , No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing. Truex had a great car and led 123 laps until … his gear shift broke with fewer than 50 laps to go and then his clutch went, meaning he had trouble leaving pit road and trouble on restarts. Pit road was Truex’s problem, restarts was everyone else’s. Grade: C



17. Kyle Larson , No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. Running seventh, Larson’s fate was sealed with 15 laps to go when Ryan Newman got into the back of Carl Edwards , who hit Larson and sent him spinning. It could have been a lot worse. Grade: B


18. Paul Menard , No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard finished 18th for the second week in a row and fifth time this season. If you think I’m counting, you’re right. Grade: C


19. Aric Almirola , No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola’s streak without a top-10 finish hit 20 races. Grade: C


20. Carl Edwards , No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. It was unintentional, but Ryan Newman got into the back of Edwards with 15 laps to go, touching off the final caution. Edwards had a top-10 car and was running eighth when it happened. Grade: B


21. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger rolled off the grid 10th but couldn’t convert his best start at Loudon since September 2010 into a quality finish. A penalty for his crew over the wall too soon on Lap 222 didn’t help. Grade: C


22. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Running in the top 10, Busch was up top on a three-wide with Joey Logano low and Brad Keselowski in the middle. Contact with Keselowski resulted in a tire rub and a couple of laps later a blown left-rear tire. It is only the fourth time this season Busch has finished outside the top 10. Even with the blowout, he still had an average running position of 7.0. Grade: B


23. Trevor Bayne , No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. ‘Twas not Bayne’s day. He completed zero laps in the top 15, and if it weren’t for the lucky dog on Lap 277, his finish would have been worse. He also benefitted from Dale Earnhardt Jr. absence. Bayne is 16th in points, 14 behind Junior. Grade: C-


24. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. This was not the same Clint Bowyer who has two wins and seven top 10s at New Hampshire. Maybe next year. Grade: C


25. Kasey Kahne , No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne was one of the bigger losers Sunday. He had a solid top-15 car and was vying for a top-10 finish when he was collected in the Ryan Newman – Carl Edwards – Kyle Larson wreck and his promising day went south with 15 laps to go. He dropped a spot to 18th in the standings. Grade: B-


26. Alex Bowman , No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman was the story of the day, subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. , who missed the race because of concussion-like symptoms. He was staring at the best finish of his young Sprint Cup career when a tire went down and he hit the wall on Lap 273 while running eighth. Grade: B


27. Casey Mears , No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears improved his finish a handful of spots thanks to the lucky dog on the final caution. Grade: C-



28. Landon Cassill , No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Cassill posted his second-best finish at New Hampshire in his past seven starts at the track. Grade: C


29. Chris Buescher , No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Buescher brought out the second caution when he spun on Lap 100 trying to avoid Josh Wise , who had slowed just ahead of him. He finished two laps down. Grade: C


30. David Ragan , No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. An unscheduled pit stop under green on Lap 130 for a vibration costs Ragan a better finish. He was running in the top 25 at the time. Grade: C


31. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto’s finish tied for his best since a 30th-place run at Kansas in May. Grade: D


32. Regan Smith , No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Smith was making his first start at New Hampshire since September 2012 when he finished 16th. Grade: D


33. Michael Annett , No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett’s run of top-30 finishes ended at two (20th at Daytona, 26th at Kentucky). Grade: D


34. Chase Elliott , No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott sustained a tire rub as cars made contact behind the hobbled car of Martin Truex Jr. on the restart on Lap 269. Four laps later, while running in the top 10, the tire blew. Even with the poor finish, Elliott still had an average running position of 10.2. Grade: C


35. Reed Sorenson , No. 55 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Just like Michael Annett , Sorenson’s run of top-30 finishes ended at two (22nd at Daytona, 27th at Kentucky). Grade: D


36. Eddie MacDonald , No. 32 Ford, GO FAS Racing. MacDonald, a K&N Pro Series East veteran from Massachusetts, made his third Sprint Cup Series start, all in the No. 32 Ford at New Hampshire. Last July he finished 37th and the year before 35th. Grade: C-


37. Ryan Ellis , No. 98 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Ellis also made his third Sprint Cup Series start but first at New Hampshire. He finished nine laps back Sunday. Grade C-


38. Brian Scott , No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. A fluid leak caused Scott’s brakes to fail. He finished 23 laps back. Grade: F


39. Michael McDowell , No. 95 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family. Electrical issues doomed McDowell to his second DNF of the season, all in his past three starts. Grade: F



40. Josh Wise , No. 30 Chevrolet, The Motorsports Group. One week after his best finish of the season (24th at Kentucky), Wise got his fifth DNF (accident). Grade: F